Pinochle-counter.



D. I'. DODGE. 'PINOCHLE COUNTER. APPLICATION rum D110. zo, 190s.

Patented Apr. k25, 19 1.

wwe Moz .Daz/'1,62 F odge, @5% 11.1.5 @Hoz To all whom "it may concern:

DAVID E. DODGE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

- rmocHLE-COUNTEE.

Sipe'c'ilcation o f Letters Yatent. i Patntgd Apr, 2/5, 1911,

Application `filed December 20, 1909. Serial No. 584,142. y

Be it known that I, DAVID F. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of yNew York,

vvhave invented vcertain new and useful Ihmprovements in P1nochle-Counters,of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to pinochle recorders or cou-nters, the object-of the; invention being to provide a 'simple device by means of whichthev players of pinochle may quickly and readily count up their score at each meld where two are playing, or as occasion requires. As is well known to those familiar with this game, it is a rather difficult matter to keep track of the score, especially when it is a two-handed game. One of the players, with his hands full of cards, usually endeavors to keep track of the score, and in order to do so must constantly be figuring up what each of them makes. v 1

To do 'away with this 'constant figuring, as well as to enable each player to see just whatl his score is at a glance, is the object of the presentimprovement.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, perspective view of one form: of this improved pinochle recorder or counter; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a dierent form thereof;v Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View of the form of recorder shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4

- is a view of one of the counting pegs; and

Fig; 5 is a detail view of another way of making the recorder. l

Similar characters of reference indicate of the drawings.

This improved recorder, which may be constructed of celluloid, hard rubber, fiber, wood, metal, glass, or any otherv suitable material, but preferably of celluloid, comprises a suitable base or supporting member 2. In the form illustrated in Figs. 2 and-3 it is shown as of cast metal, as 4, and in the form shown in Fig. 5 it is illustrated as of sheet metal formation, as 5. This base is provided on its upper face withaplurality of columns 6 of numbers running from 5 to`1,()00, the latter being the total number of points it is possible for a player to score in a pinochle game, the numbers in each column being multiples of five. These figures may be marked in any suitable .manner upon the. base, according to the material of which it Figure 1 is a isv constructed, but in the form shown in -f Fig. 1 they are printed upona sheet of paper 7 which may be pasted upon the base,

and when the recorder is made inthis form several sheets may be supplied with each base so -that when one becomes 'mutilated or worn a new one may be attached.

In the form shown in Fig. 2, the basev 3, i

which, asstated, is, ofmetal and provided with suitable supports 8, whereby it is raised above the surface on which it is adapted to y rest, thus enabling the V.pegs to project through the base so that the `same can be made relatively thin and whereby the necessity of tapering the holes in the base is avoided. The supports may be in the form of rubber .knobs so as not to mar the table upon-which the recorder may rest. The base in this form is provided with a .flange 9 around its'edge Afor the reception of a transparent top 10, such for 'instance as glass or other suitable materia-l, which may besecured to the base by suitable fastening devices such as screws 11. Between the glass top and the castmetal base the columns of figures are located, either by ,forming them directly on the base or on a'y sheet of paper, which latter may be placed between thebase and the glass top.4 f v In the form shown in Fig. 5 the glass or other transparent top; is held in' position by schending the sheet metal base asto overlap the edges of the top. The vrecorder is provided with' two vsets of holes for each column of figures, one set, as 14, located along one side of the column, as the left hand thereof, and the other, as 15, at the corresponding parts throughout the figures oppositeor right hand side of the column, so that each figure of the column is between a pair of holes.' If desired, more than two sets of holes could be provided for each) column of figures, but in the preferable form of the recorder it is as shown in the drawings. These holes extend through the top and into and preferably 'through the base, and are shown as tapered for the reception of taperedl counting pegs 13, two of one color or marking being provided for one player and two of another color or a different marking for the opponent. One

set of holes adjacent to each column, as for instance the set at the left hand side of each column of figures, is used by one player in counting, while the opposed set at the right hand of the column of figures is used by the other player.

Each recorder will have placed upon it above the holes the necessary instructions -for using the same.

In using the recorder, when the first meld is made, the player making the meld Will place a peg in bis column of holes opposite the figure necessary to indicate the amount, as for instance l0. When the second meld or count is to be recorded by the same player, thc second peg of the same color is placed in the same column of holes as many points beyond the first peg as he is entitled to score, thus bringing the peg opposite the total amount to be registered. In making the third meld or count, the first peg originally placed opposite the figure 10 for instance is then removed and placed in the hole of the same column indicating the total amount to be recorded, and so on to the end of the game.

The first player having used the column of holes at the left hand of the figures for this purpose, the second player will use the column of holes at the right hand of the figures for registering his score. Thus, each player Will be able to readily see What the last meld or count Was and also the total number of points made at any time during the game, and Without the necessity of using pencil and paper and constantly figuring up the count.

By constructing the recorder in the manner shown in Figs. 2 to 5 the glass or other transparent surface protects the figures from obliteration or mutilation, especially when they are printed upon a sheet of paper and attached to the base. Of course, it will be obvious that the base may be made of any suitable material, such for instance as celluloid, as hereinbefore stated, and that the figures may be printed or stamped, or other- Wise placed upon such base as may be found most desirable in practice. lVhen the recorder is made in its simplest form, as for instance a Wood or fiber back or support having a` printed sheet upon its face, the holes are formed both through the Asheet and into and preferably through the back.

When the counter is made of celluloid the base will preferably ycomprise a sheet of this material with the holes extending therethrough and the figures impressed, or printed or otherwise applied thereto, and this 'sheet of Celluloid, of sufficient thickness to give it stability, will be provided with supports such as 8 applied to the rear side thereof, whereby the base Will be raised above the support upon which it is adapted to rest and thus permit the holes to extend through such base so that the pegs may project through the same.

I claimas my invention:

1. A pinochle counter comprising a supporting member provided With a series of holes arranged in four parallel columns, each column consisting of two rows of holes, and With a series of columns of figures arranged in consecutive multiples of five from 5 to 1,000, whereby the counter is adapted for use as a pinochle counter, each figure located adjacent to and adapted to be read with a pair of holes, and pegs, one or more of the same markinflr for each player, for insertion into said hotles whereby the players may ascertain at a glance and Without calculation their relative standing in the game from the beginning to the end of said game.

2. A pinochle counter comprising a supporting member made of Celluloid and rovided with a series of holes arrange in fourparallel columns, each column consisting of two rows of holes, and with a series of columns of figures arranged in consecutive multiples of five from 5 to 1,000 printed or impressed thereon whereby the counter is adapted for use as a pinochle counter, each figure located adjacent to and adapted to be read With a pair of holes, and pegs, one or more of the same marking for each player, for insertion into said holes Whereby the players may ascertain at a glance and Without calculation their relative standing in the game from the beginning to the end of said game.

DAVID F. DODGE.

lVitnesses:

C. A. WEED, F E. BoYon. 

